When Patterson left Ole Miss and headed north for Michigan, he did so with the understanding — and desire — to do two things: Play championship-level football, and learn an offense that would not only better prepare him for the next level but also give him a better understanding of the game.

Which takes us back to those moments. More often than not this season, Patterson has resisted the old urge to scrap the play and freelance. There are moments when cutting bait and breaking the play off seem easier, but he's sticking with it. Scanning, reading, moving. "Staying loaded," as assistant coach Pep Hamilton says. And ultimately staying out of self-created trouble.

Shea Patterson passes against Northwestern.(Photo: Jim Young, AP)

Nothing's perfect, of course. Patterson came here with the understanding he needed to cut down his turnovers, improve his stature in the pocket and be a better manager of situations. Evaluating and solving various situations in games will lead to yards and points.

Through seven games, he knows it's coming. So does Michigan.

"He's finding another thing to be good at every single week," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said this week. "He's doing a great job making decisions."

Patterson's journey at Michigan was a fascinating one. The Wolverines desperately needed a quarterback. He needed a new home. His background in the spread system meant he'd have to adjust to Harbaugh's ways. Harbaugh's job as a coach was to make sure his offense was tailored around Patterson's unique skill sets. Both had to mesh together without losing their own identity.

So far, so good.

Patterson's growth as a quarterback in this system has been undeniable. He's completing 68.6 percent of his throws. His touchdown rate of 6.3 percent, a very good number, is roughly the same as it was a year ago. His interception rate, meanwhile, has been cut nearly in half, to 1.8 percent. His quarterback rating is No. 26 nationally.

“Obviously, playing Michigan State and Ohio State, it means a little bit more,” he said Saturday night. “We have to come out with the same intensity, the same expectation and belief in ourselves that we are going to win.”

Patterson has never played in the Michigan-Michigan State game before. But he has experienced a rivalry with a different MSU — Mississippi State. He has played in the Ole Miss-Mississippi State "Egg Bowl." In fact, his experience as a true freshman with a scramble and an opposing defensive's arm clotheslining his face — resulting in blood everywhere — inspired him to wear a mouthpiece for the first time.

He has done so ever since.

Patterson understands toughness in games like this. He sliced open his left hand during the win over Wisconsin on Saturday — a wound that needed five stitches after the game. Patterson spoke with reporters Tuesday with that hand covered in a bag of ice, some blood spattering through post-practice.

But he insists it won't be a problem, and it hasn't impacted him in practice this week.

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Week 7 of college football season was… well… unexpected. Yeah, we’ll go with unexpected. Tennessee upset Auburn, LSU took down Georgia and Michigan State rallied to beat Penn State in the final minute. Oh, and Michigan stomped Wisconsin. How much does this shake up the Free Press’ college football top 25? Receiving votes this week were Colorado, Utah State, USC and Washington State. Dropped out were Auburn, Miami (Fla.) and Colorado. Tim Fuller, Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan is 2-8 vs. Michigan State over the past decade, and if there has been a common thread offensively with regard to the Wolverines' Paul Bunyan Trophy downfall, it has been at quarterback.

In those eight losses, Michigan quarterbacks have thrown five touchdowns against 14 interceptions. They've completed 50 percent of their throws (120-of-240) and are averaging a meager 6.2 yards per attempt. People often point to the rushing numbers in this series, but Michigan's quarterback play in those losses has been horrendous. And the offensive output has generally followed.

Michigan's players, even defensively, have noted Patterson's injection of swagger and confidence into the offensive side of the ball. He's calm in the huddle. He works as hard as anyone in practice. He makes plays when they're available, he has kept the team out of poor situations, and every week the offense is expanding.

The first test at Notre Dame was more of a feeling-out process than anything else. He's seven weeks in now. And it's time to see if the Patterson-Harbaugh pairing can accomplish part of what it was put together to do: Beat Michigan State.

"I grew up around the rivalry, I know how important a game this is for both Michigan State and us," Patterson said Tuesday. "We'll attack it with the same enthusiasm we have the past six weeks."